Abstract
 Impact of Suburbanization on Water Quality at Multiple Spatial Scales Track: Water Resources Author(s): Jun Tu, Zong-Guo Xia A study of water quality, land-use patterns, and population data is conducted at several watersheds in eastern Massachusetts to examine the impact of urban sprawl on water quality at three different spatial scales: watersheds, buffered streams, and buffered water sampling sites. GIS analysis is used to delineate the drainage areas using digital elevation models for the water flow passing the corresponding water sampling sites; to generate buffers of different distances for the streams and the sampling sites; and to derive the indicators of suburbanization such as developed land, impervious surfaces, and high-density population clusters for different scales. Statistical analyses are used to examine and quantify the relationships between water quality parameters and the indicators of urban sprawl. Results from this study will contribute to a better understanding of not only the impact of urban sprawl on water quality but also the appropriate scale for effective management of watersheds. Jun Tu Lehman College and Graduate Center, CUNY Environmental, Geograpic and Geological Sciences 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West, Bronx , NY 10468 US Phone: 7189601120 Fax: 7189608584 E-mail: juntu2005@gmail.com Zong-Guo Xia Lehman College, CUNY Department of Environmental, Geographic and Geological Sciences 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West Bronx , NY 10468 US Phone: 7189608683 E-mail: Zongguo.Xia@lehman.cuny.edu |
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